People v. Winters

2022 IL App (1st) 200859-U
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedSeptember 21, 2022
Docket1-20-0859
StatusUnpublished

This text of 2022 IL App (1st) 200859-U (People v. Winters) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Winters, 2022 IL App (1st) 200859-U (Ill. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

2022 IL App (1st) 200859-U

THIRD DIVISION September 21, 2022

No. 1-20-0859

NOTICE: This order was filed under Supreme Court Rule 23 and is not precedent except in the limited circumstances allowed under Rule 23(e)(1). ______________________________________________________________________________

IN THE APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT ______________________________________________________________________________

) Appeal from the ) Circuit Court of THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, ) Cook County ) Plaintiff-Appellee, ) ) No. 17 CR 16720(01) v. ) ) ANTHONY WINTERS, ) ) Honorable Defendant-Appellant. ) James Michael Obbish, ) Judge Presiding. ) __________________________________________________________________________

JUSTICE REYES delivered the judgment of the court. Justices Rochford and Martin concurred in the judgment.

ORDER

¶1 Held: Affirming defendant’s conviction and sentence for criminal sexual assault and finding that section 5-4.5-100(d) of the Unified Code of Corrections did not violate the equal protection and due process clauses of the United States and Illinois Constitutions.

¶2 Defendant Anthony Winters was indicted on two counts of criminal sexual assault based

on allegations that he twice inserted his finger into N.P.’s vagina during a clinical massage.

Following a bench trial, defendant was convicted of one count of criminal sexual assault and 1-20-0859

sentenced to four years’ imprisonment. On appeal, defendant argues that the State failed to prove

beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed criminal sexual assault. Defendant also contends

that the version of section 5-4.5-100 of the Unified Code of Corrections (Code of Corrections)

under which he was sentenced (730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-100 (West 2020)) violated the due process and

equal protection clauses of the United States Constitution (U.S. Const., amend. XIV) and Illinois

Constitution (Ill. Const. 1970, art. I, § 2). For the following reasons, we affirm.

¶3 BACKGROUND

¶4 The State alleged that defendant, a licensed massage therapist, twice inserted his finger

into N.P.’s vagina during a clinical massage and knew that she was unable to give knowing

consent. Defendant was indicted on two counts of criminal sexual assault (720 ILCS 5/11-

1.20(a)(2) (West 2018)) and was released on bond. As a condition of the bond, defendant was

placed on electronic home monitoring.

¶5 During the bench trial, N.P. testified that she, her four sisters, and her cousin had planned

a “girls’ weekend” and had booked hotel rooms in Chicago. On February 10, 2017, prior to

meeting her relatives, she scheduled a massage at defendant’s business, Therapy for Everybody.

After checking in, N.P. completed a form indicating that she was experiencing spasms, cramps,

and hip and back pain and that she sought treatment for the middle and lower parts of her back.

¶6 According to N.P., defendant introduced himself and led her to a massage room. He

instructed her to “undress to [her] comfort.” Defendant left the room, and N.P. undressed,

leaving on her bra and underwear. N.P. testified that she was uncomfortable since defendant is

male but “went forward” with the massage. After she lay on the massage table and covered

herself with a sheet, defendant returned to the room and started massaging her. N.P. testified that

she was lying on her back, and while defendant was massaging her left leg, she felt his finger

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inside her vagina. She testified that “the first time that it happened, I was trying to convince

myself that it didn’t happen.”

¶7 N.P. testified that, as the massage continued, defendant inserted his finger inside of her

vagina a second time. N.P. “reacted” and “jumped in place.” According to N.P., after she

reacted, defendant asked her whether she “was okay with it,” and she told him that she was not.

N.P. testified that defendant said, “I’m sorry, I don’t usually do this, but I was really attracted to

you.” The massage ended approximately five minutes later. N.P. dressed and left the room.

¶8 N.P. testified that she was eager to leave and “process what just happened.” When she

was outside, she called her sister, N.E., who asked her how the massage went. N.P. started crying

and said “he took it too far[.]” N.P. met her sisters and cousin at the hotel but did not go out with

them. She testified that she instead stayed at the hotel, cried, and took a bath. The next morning,

she again stayed at the hotel while her sisters went out for breakfast. After her sisters returned,

N.P. told two of her sisters, including N.E., that the massage therapist twice inserted his finger

into her vagina during her massage.

¶9 N.P. testified that N.E. provided her the phone number for the non-profit organization

Rape Victim Advocates, which N.P. called the following week; N.P. spoke with an advocate.

During the call, N.P. described what happened to her; the advocate informed her that she had

been sexually assaulted. N.P. then went to a police station, where she was advised to have a rape

kit administered. At West Suburban Medical Center, N.P. met with Meredith Watkins, a

registered nurse, and informed Watkins that she wanted a rape kit administered. N.P. testified

that she cried throughout the examination. After the examination, a police officer visited her at

the hospital, and she reported the incident.

¶ 10 N.P. testified that in October 2017, she met with a police detective, who had printed a

-3- 1-20-0859

photograph of the employees at Therapy for Everybody. N.P. identified defendant as the massage

therapist who sexually assaulted her.

¶ 11 Meredith Watkins, an expert in sexual assault nurse examination and emergency nursing,

testified that she administered an evidence collection kit and conducted a sexual assault nursing

examination on N.P. Watkins testified that N.P. described that she was sexually assaulted, and

Watkins recorded her description. In addition, Watkins testified that during the examination, she

observed a two-millimeter tear on N.P.’s posterior fourchette (the bottom of the inner folds of the

vulva). Watkins testified that the sexual assault that N.P. described could have caused the tear.

¶ 12 On cross-examination, Watkins testified that the tear was acute, or unhealed, but that she

did not know when the tear occurred. Watkins further testified that N.P. indicated she had

recently used a genital wipe or wash, which could have caused the tear.

¶ 13 The parties stipulated that the evidence collection kit failed to detect male-specific DNA.

¶ 14 After the State rested, defendant moved for a directed finding; the motion was denied.

Defendant also moved for a mistrial, which was denied.

¶ 15 Defendant testified that he co-owned Therapy for Everybody, where he worked as a

clinical massage therapist and operations manager. On February 10, 2017, defendant testified

that N.P. completed a form indicating that she wanted her middle and lower back treated. When

he and N.P. were in the massage room, he asked whether she had any questions and instructed

her to undress to her comfort level. Defendant left the room while she undressed. When he

returned, N.P. was lying on the table and under covers, and he began the session by massaging

her legs. According to defendant, N.P.

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